The Bus Depot
by karensmith
Summary: Alternate Tim/Lyla ending to 4x06's "Stay."


As they stood together outside the Dillon Bus Depot they both knew this moment could change their lives forever. Tim silently hoping something would change and Lyla silently going over everything in her life that brought her to this point.

Ever since Lyla had woken up that morning, she had barely said anything. They ate a quick breakfast in bed of her favourite cereal Tim fixed for her, she silently showered and dressed and they quietly held hands as they walked from the trailer to Tim's truck to begin her journey back to school.

When they reached the truck, Lyla couldn't help but look back towards the trailer. A trailer in Dillon Texas, fully stocked with more beer than food. She couldn't help but giggle at how much it fit Tim and how much that tacky trailer had made her happy these past few days.

Tim didn't ask what she was laughing at, but was just happy to hear her laugh and see her smile this morning. Hoping the image and sound would be something he could remember when he was alone again and his heart was aching again.

They reached Buddy's apartment and Lyla ran upstairs alone to grab her bag and say a goodbye to her dad. Tim stayed back in the truck to give them the time they needed for the goodbye and knowing that he wouldn't be on the list of people Buddy wanted to see first thing in the morning.

Twenty minutes later she emerged from the apartment down the steps with a small bag and with tears glistening in her eyes of saying another goodbye to her dad. Tim jumped out of the truck first taking the bag and then taking Lyla in his arms to comfort her anyway he could. "He'll be ok." Tim whispered as Lyla shook her head and just held on to Tim. Breathing him in and not knowing when she became this clingy. Eventually she let go, trying to smile at him to reassure him she was ok and he believed her. Opening the truck door for her to get in, for them to proceed to their final stop. Lyla hesitated as he held the door open, not really wanting to reach the bus depot as she knew what awaited her there.

A bus, on a one way trip out of town, away from her friends, her family and the man she loved beyond belief.

A bus trip from her happiness.

She slowly got in, acting like it was burning her every step she took. As Tim locked the door and he jogged around to the driver's side she already started to feel her heart break, and as he started the engine another piece shattered. As he put the truck in reverse and it made that clunking sound it always did and she always told him to fix (but he never did) another piece broke. All along the way as they passed her dad's dealership, Dillon high, and all the places that held memories, pieces broke one-by-one-by –one.

It didn't take long from them to reach the bus depot, Dillon wasn't that large a place. As Tim pulled up and put the truck in park and turned off the engine. She knew he was going to either want to say goodbye or jump out of the truck for avoidance. Considering Tim didn't want to tell her when he dropped out of college and came back home, she bet on the avoidance option.

Two seconds later, she was proven right. Tim opened his mouth to say something and just as slowly shut it. He sighed and opened his car door. Slowly making his way around to her side of the truck and grabbing her bag from the back. Before opening the door for her to get out of the truck, as she took a step out she couldn't take her eyes off the bus.

"Well..." Tim started to talk quietly noticing Lila's fixation on the bus. "Let's get you to your bus." He told her, his heart breaking with each word knowing it would take her away from him again.

Tim took a step forward towards the bus and one step away from the truck while Lyla still stayed rooted in her place. Standing next to the truck and looking at the bus.

"Lyla?" Tim asked in confusion as she stood frozen in place. "Pretty sure you have to be on the bus to go and not standing in front of it." He joked trying to make her laugh and lighten the mood.

"Ask me again." She whispered as tears began to form in her eyes as she finally moved her eyes from the large bus in the background to Tim standing in between her and the bus.

"What? Lyla? No." He said first in confusion, then disbelief, and finally disapproval of realizing where she was going and where her mind was at.

"I was being selfish." He added. "We're getting you on that bus, back to school and your life." He told her, his heart breaking in process of him even uttering the words out of his mouth. Lyla shook her head at what he was saying, still rooted in her spot. Despite Tim's step closer to hold onto her arm and usher her towards the bus. She looked up at him, full tears streaming down her cheek now as she stared at this man that she deemed her soul mate, her one love of her life and the one man she knew she didn't want to live without. She was miserable at school, she went to class, came home to the dorm and that was her life. She didn't live, she merely existed. She studied alone, she ate alone, and she didn't want to make friends because she missed the ones she had. She didn't want to meet a guy, because she loved the one she had. She didn't go out for burgers, she didn't laugh, and she wasn't Lyla who would jump on a bull. She wasn't her without Tim, she wasn't happy.

"Ask me again." She said again more strongly this time and more serious.

"Lyla." Tim said again in disbelief.

"Please Tim, ask me." She repeated again as she pulled herself closer to him, reaching her hands to his face to make him look at her. Really look at her in her eyes and see that she was being serious about this. He could always read her like a book, whether they were talking, fighting, with other people. None of that mattered, Tim could always read her like an open book.

"Stay." He whispered barely audibly. Tim himself not believing or wanting to believe that she would or that this could happen. When he made his pitch, he was only thinking selfishly with his heart. Not wanting to be without her again. She made him feel whole, she made him a better person and wants to be a better person. She made him happy and he never wanted to be without that.

Lyla smiled as she heard him. "That wasn't a question, ask me again." She giggled teasing him as he shook his head that this moment between them was actually happening and now she was even joking about it.

"My gosh woman. Would you please stay and drive me crazy for the rest of my life." He smirked at her in that Tim Riggins way that just made her melt. She smiled again, a full on smile that Tim noticed lit up her entire face. It was a smile that he didn't really see on her much since she'd been back. Only in the rare moments of them being carefree at the trailer or when they had double dated with Billy and Mindy. It was like a switch had been flipped and the real Lyla was back.

"Yeah, I'll stay." She beamed jumping into his arms and not wasting a moment before crashing her lips down on his. "But the trailer has got to go." She told him seriously as she pulled back and they just laughed and held onto each other still in the bus depot parking lot.

Minutes when by and they didn't realize that the big bus looming in the background pulled away and away from Dillon. While Lyla and Tim stood still in each other's arms knowing that many challenges were ahead of them, but they were where they needed and always wanted to be.

Together.


End file.
